1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a breeding saddle that increases productivity in artificially inseminated sows.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Productivity in a sow herd drives the profitability of a hog operation. Productivity is measured by number of pigs per sow per year and is a function of litter size and farrowing rate.
Artificial insemination (AI) is an increasingly used practice with sows. AI allows the pork producer to increase the number of offspring from the best boars. It also reduces the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases within the stock and prevents injuries common in natural service.
When a sow is in heat, AI involves passing a catheter into the sow's cervix. The catheter is usually given a twist as it is inserted and has a shape at the tip such that it locks in the muscular folds of the cervix to prevent back flow of the semen. The opposite end of the catheter is connected to a vessel containing semen. If the sow is being bred individually, the operator then stimulates the sow using the same techniques as a boar would, i.e., back pressure, rubbing the shoulders, rubbing the flanks and underline. If successful, this causes contractions in the sow's uterus and oviducts which suck in the sperm.
Inseminator fatigue is a problem. For an AI to be a quality breeding, the operator must take his time and not become complacent. Various AI supply companies sell breeding saddles that address the time problem. With these saddles, a belt is placed around the sow's belly, the tip of the catheter inserted into her cervix and the opposite end of the catheter bent upwardly and connected to a vessel containing sperm. The vessel is then attached to the belt around the sow's belly and the operator goes on to the next sow.
With unobserved matings, the catheter may slip and there may be back flow of the sperm. This happens as the contractions in the sow's cervix grab and release the catheter. If the sow swishes her tail, she may displace the catheter from its placement deep in the cervix, allowing the sperm to seep out the vagina. In addition, the sow may not suck in the semen, with the same vigorous contractions as she would if bred individually.
While breeding saddles presently on the market save time, they do not increase sow productivity. In fact, they may decrease productivity when there is less than an optimal population of sperm in the oviducts due to reduced uterine and oviduct contractions or back flow of the semen. A decrease in the contractions may also affect the number of eggs released during ovulation as that process is regulated by hormones activated in response to the external and internal environment of the sow. Fewer eggs will also decrease productivity as the litter will be smaller.